I am currently on Maui with my beloved, Chris. In the last 72 hours, hell has literally descended on this beautiful island. We lost power early Tuesday morning, then by Tuesday afternoon, we saw a dark cloud fill the sky and by 5 p.m. we lost cell service. We drove a little ways towards Lahaina early Wednesday morning (4 a.m.) but police had blocked the road. We still had no information about what was going on or why we couldn’t get to the other side of the island. Little did we know that the historic Lahaina town, approximately 7 minutes from our condo, was burning to the ground.
Words cannot describe how unsettling it is to not know what is going on around you yet being able to feel an urgent sense of dread in the air. Even worse is not being able to contact anyone because the power is out, and there is no internet or cell service.
The devastation we have witnessed since Tuesday is unimaginable. Many of you reading this have probably seen pictures on the news and internet. But to be on Maui and actually see and feel it? It is like a war zone-as though nuclear bomb went off. It is so unfathomable and yet, it is SO real. Many of our Maui friends and their families lost their homes and many still can’t find family members.
This morning at 5 a.m. we drove a little ways upcountry to a place we found where we have been able to get one bar of cell service. Displaced locals had been sleeping in their cars on this road. While there, I saw a local woman cleaning up trash. I offered to help her and as we walked she began to scream and cry. She yelled, “Clean up your fucking trash!! Our island is burning!” I asked her if I could hug her. As she sobbed in my arms, she apologized for getting so angry and told me her home burned down in the fire. She lost everything. I cried with her and reassured her she has every right to be angry. I asked what we could do to support her right now and offered her our place to shower, and our food. She said, “I just want a cup of coffee.” Who wouldn’t want to experience the normalcy of a cozy cup of hot coffee in the morning? Although we didn’t have a hot cup of Joe, Chris gave her his cold coffee, of which she was grateful . As we stood there someone from her condo complex walked up and reassured her that her building survived. We all burst out crying.
Today, we were able to get on one of the evacuation buses to go to Kahului, near the airport. I don’t think I have ever been so thankful to get on a bus and drive to safety in my entire life.
After about an hour of being on the other side of the island, I started to notice how utterly exhausted I feel. We have been in a state of fight/flight for days now. Our sleep has been terrible, waking up every hour to the sound of rescue sirens driving by and air raid sirens randomly going off….
Even as I type this and my brain feels foggy, I have 5 nuggets of clarity about this tragic experience. They include:
Life can change in the matter of minutes so I have gotten crystal clear about how I want to live. Do I want to live in fear or do I want to live in love? Today, I am crystal clear that I choose love. No. Matter. What.
Family, friendships and our community matters, things don’t.
Our heart is where our true home is, not the other way around. Why? Because we can lose our home in a matter of seconds….but our hearts are the foundation of any inner home.
Food, water, shelter are all privileges that I will forever be thankful I have.
The importance of savoring the little things, like a cup of Joe, a warm hug, and a compassionate gesture.
Please Pray for Maui,
XO,
Candice
photo credit: https://www.civilbeat.org/2023/08/live-maui-fire-evacuations-closures-and-shelter-updates/